A bunch of assassins walk onto a train… but who are they? “Bullet Train” has a pretty huge ensemble of a cast, and it can be pretty easy to lose track of them all.
That’s especially true in this movie, which sees Brad Pitt, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Brian Tyree Henry and more all squaring off against each other because of one person in particular. Of course, if you want to figure out how to sort out the actual plot of “Bullet Train” — particularly the ending — we’ll help you do that shortly.
For now, let’s just run through the list of which assassin is which on the train.
Ladybug (Brad Pitt) — Brad Pitt is his action star self in this movie. He plays Ladybug, an assassin who has notoriously bad luck. “Ladybug” is a bit of irony, as the insects are considered lucky.
Lemon (Brian Tyree Henry) — Normally assassins work alone, but that’s not the case for Lemon, played by Brian Tyree Henry. He works with his brother. But his defining quality? Just like in the book, he’s obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine.
Tangerine (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) — Tangerine has the honor of being Lemon’s brother, but he’s not nearly as into Thomas the Tank Engine. He does things by the book, always. And no, his name isn’t actually tangerine. The fruits are just the brothers’ code names.
The Prince (Joey King) — Coming off of Hulu’s “The Princess,” Joey King stars in “Bullet Train” as The Prince. Her character is pretty spoiler-heavy, but know that she’s cunning and ruthless.
The Father/Kimura (Andrew Koji) — Poor Kimura is one of the only characters in “Bullet Train” who doesn’t try to assassinate people for a living. He’s just a dad, trying to do right by his son. That said, he is pretty lethal, considering his familial line.
The Elder (Hiroyuki Sanada) — That familial line we were talking about? That starts with Hiroyuki Sanada, who plays Kimura’s father, known as The Elder. To him, nothing is more important than protecting family.
The Hornet (Zazie Beetz) — Though Zazie Beetz is pretty known for playing an absurdly lucky character in “Deadpool 2,” she doesn’t get to be the lucky one in “Bullet Train.” Here, she’s just a lethal assassin who knows how to blend in a little too well.
The Wolf (Benito A. Martinez Ocasio a.k.a. Bad Bunny) — Though he’s best known for his music, Bad Bunny makes his acting debut in “Bullet Train” as an assassin called The Wolf. Yes, he does howl.
The Son (Logan Lerman) — Odds are, you’ll probably do a double take on Logan Lerman in “Bullet Train.” He looks very different with long hair and face tattoos, playing The Son in the film.
Maria (Sandra Bullock) — For the most part, Sandra Bullock appears as a disembodied voice on the phone in “Bullet Train.” But she does show up in person at one point. She plays Maria, Ladybug’s handler.
White Death (Michael Shannon) — Sure, all assassins are bad. But in “Bullet Train” there’s one big bad, and his name is the White Death. He’s a ruthless crime lord played by Michael Shannon.
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